214 PHEASANTS 



tion be wild or hand-reared ; the popular 

 opinion — almost universal among the 

 uninformed — that the mere fact of a bird 

 being hand -reared makes it easier to shoot, 

 is, of course, simple nonsense ; a century 

 of artificial life and surroundings in no 

 way affects the flying powers of a race of 

 pheasants, and the well-planned rise of 

 hand-reared birds remains, in spite of all 

 adverse criticism, the supreme test of 

 efficiency with the shot-gun. 



The man who has built up his reputa- 

 tion by shooting hand-reared pheasants 

 cleanly and consistently need fear no 

 rivals in the field ; he may with every 

 confidence take on the celebrated snipe 

 shot over his own native marsh, or the 

 noted local wildfowler at the evening 

 flight, and expect to beat them at their 

 own game, for his training in the use of the 

 gun has been of a higher order than theirs. 

 There is a common notion that to shoot 

 high pheasants well is a mere knack, easily 

 acquired by any one who has the chance 

 of regular practice, whereas in reality it is 



